FINCHforum

I got to thinking this morning that maybe I should give all my finches some sort of "just in case" treatment. Six of the finches were rescued birds living in a fish tank that was very dirty, and for water they had a small dish on the bottom which had poop in it. I am so gratefull the man let me take them. They all seem to be okay, however, since joining the finch forum and knowing a lot more about finches, should I treat them all for what they might have? When I first got them home and set up, I put Vita-Sol in their water as directed. They have layed so many eggs and we only have had one unhealthy baby that died and now a new baby that looks to be okay so far. What do you think? Thanks to all..

hi kathleen
you cannot do worse than rescuing these birds and making thier existance more bearable.the fact that they are laying eggs tells me that they are becoming more happy with thier surroundings ,and the loss of the young one was unavoidable if they where kept in unsanitary conditions,good luck with the rest of them ,and i hope that they start to like the living conditions that you have given them.you cannot do any worse!

ken

I can't imagine why people get pets that they won't take care of, or if this was a 'pet center', why they thought anyone would pay good money for birds in such conditions. Good for you for rescuing them! These are the birds in that double flight, correct? They must be in heaven, with all that room. I would give them a wormer and a mite treatment such as Scatt as a minimum. You can order them online from many places. I don't give antibiotics unless I know I have a problem, as I think they build up a resistance, just as we do.

HI Kathleen,

I agree with what the other posters have stated - the birds are much better off no matter what now that they are with you!

Did you get all of your birds at one time or just acquire the 6 new birds? I would quarantine them if you had other birds already to observe them. I treat all new birds in quarantine for mites (internal and external). But other than that, I will just continue to observe them during quarantine and if they continue to look healthy, I will not treat further.

If they continue to have chicks that do not thrive, then there is most likely an underlying illness that would then need to be treated.

My only other comment would be sure they are getting enough calcium since they are laying eggs (crushed eggshells and/or calcium supplement).

i was wondering about the chicks thing ,is it possible that they could be related e,g, nest mates

ken

I was on vacation in Georgia in late July and everytime I went into this little corner store I found that the 6 little finches, that were in a fish tank, were without proper water and the tank was not clean. And of course it disdurbed me to the point that I kept telling my husband that we should do something. One day I asked the man " excuse me, can I give the little birds some fresh water?' I wanted to say " excuse me, can I give the little neglected birds some water that doesn't have poop in it?" The day before we were to leave to return to Florida, my husband said to me " go get the birds, well take them home with us". Well, that evening I told the man I was really concerned about the birds. I was carefull, yet direct about my concerns, and he was really nice about it and agreed with me. He said " I'll pack them up tomorrow morning if you want them, and you can HAVE them all". I had a hard time sleeping that night. Next morning, we were all packed up, my husband, two kids, two dogs, 6 BEAUTIFUL FINCHES, and me. Well we got home so late Sunday evening they had to sleep in the small cage they traveled in. Sorry, I will try to make this long story a bit shorter....I wish you all could have seen these birds when they first stepped into their new home, They all were silent and just looking all around, it almost make me cry. For the first time in their little lives, they had room to fly, FRESH AIR AND WATER, bamboo nests, swings, toys, lots of food, snack attack egg food, garden veggie, millet, cuttle bones, 10" plastic saucer filled about 1/2" of fresh water everyday for bathing, and fresh chopped spinach, cucumber and carrots when I make salads for dinner. I think they could be related but I don't know for sure. There were 4 females and two males, so I bought two more males to even up. The one pair has laid aprox 16 eggs with only one chick, the one that died. We now have another chick by a different pair who is doing great as far as I can see. It's growing so fast and is now 5 days old !!! I just love to hear their soft sweet song and love watching them. They really do some funny things. Anyway I just love them all. I will be ordering the Scatt tonight, and I would like to put leg bands on them as well for ID. Okay for now....thanks for all your concern and help.

hi kathleen
i cant see to type this reply as there are tears in my eyes!just the thought of them looking round at thier new surroundings ,knowing they will not have to drink dirty water and rubbish food.....i have done this myself in the past i rescued a cape dove from a pet shop that kept it in filthy conditions.i had that bird for years and everytime i went into the aviary it would land on my shoulder as a thank you.you will never regret rescuing them and they will always be special to you


ken

Ken......I had a hard time typing the story.....it's sort of reliving it. But all is good now and our new little chick is growing like a weed. The parents seem to be taking care of it. One thing I find so funny is, the female will rise up just enough to let me see the chick when I ask " can I see the little baby" but the male is much more protective and stays in place. I so wish these types of birds would like to be held and cuddled by us. Oh well, can have it all. So glad to hear about your rescue of the Dove, I'm sure you miss him/her. They are so beautiful and sweet....I am a firm believer of " what goes aroung, comes around", and so therfore no need to worry....Have a great day.

Kathleen, the original six are very likely related. Related finches shouldn't be allowed to breed, as it can weaken the lines. If you can identify the two males you added, they could be mated with two of the females--the problem is that in a colony setting, it is hard to control which ones pair up. I was also very touched by your story--those finches are very lucky you came along!

Sally, I do know which ones I bought. And I think I can identify which females were without a mate, well maybe....What should I do now? I would really hate to separate them. I really don't have any intentions of letting them have lots of chicks. I just wanted to experience the whole baby chick to adult thing no more than a few times. This weekend I plan on candleing all the eggs in the other three nests because I don't think they're any good. They were laid long before this new baby chick hatched, but a few could be newly laid, so I will be careful. Also, the other 4 eggs with the chick have yet to hatch after 6 days...hmmmm...what do you think? Thanks to all
Kathleen

It is very likely that the problems with eggs not hatching, possibly infertile eggs, is due to the birds being related. Once the chicks have fledged, you could take out the nests. Eventually, without nests, they will stop with the breeding. With 8 finches in that double flight, there should be plenty of room for them to get along. And you can leave those other eggs in with that one chick and just throw them away once it has fledged.

Thanks Sally....I will take out all the nests when the chick is fledged. After I do that, is there something else I can put in the cage for them to feel more cozy? Maybe some artificial vine's?
Kathleen

I have used those plastic vines you can get at any hobby store. On another site, a member mentioned that he buys grapevine wreaths (natural finish), takes them apart, then puts the pieces back together to make a natural-looking vine. I also bought some 6" grapevine wreaths to use as swings--my birds love them. I also ziptie some plastic (or you can use silk) plants in the corners, though you have to take them out from time to time to wash all the poop off!

Thanks Sally...sounds like I can get creative as long as it's safe material.

Hi KAthleen-I bought some fake plants at Micheals FAke vine & the stuff they make fake bouquets out of. It's just plastic. I washed them really good and let them dry and then you can cut it apart or whatever and make cosy little places to hide and sit.